Denture



Patented May 12, 1925,

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE- WILLIAM R. TWIGG-S, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

DENTURE.

Application filed March 8, 1924. Serial No. 697,759.

the invention being herein explained, and

the best mode in which I applying that principle, it from other inventions.

The present improvements, relating, as indicated, to dentures, have more particular regard to the provision of suction gripping means, whereby a denture, whether of lower or upper teeth, may be more securely held to the gums of the wearer. It has heretofore been proposed to use various kinds of vacuum cups, suction disks and the like, on the side of the denture that contacts with the gums or, in the case of the upper denture, with the roof of the mouth, but all'devices have the serious objection that the relatively soft tissues of the. gums or palate, as the case may be, are drawn into the cavity wherein the vacuum is formed, thereby frequently causing serious discomfort and soreness.

I have discovered that by embedding in the denture body one or more elements or so small masses of a suitable porous but rigid material, such element or mass being exposed on the side of the denture body that contacts .with the gums or palate of the wearer and the surface of such element or mass thus exposed being complementary to such gums or palate, just as in the case of the remainder of the denture body, a sufficient suction effect may be obtained to hold the denture firmly in place. At the same time, due to the rigid and unyielding character of the suction element or member and the fact that the contacting surface thereof conforms accurately with the gums or palate, no discomfort is occasioned the wearer of the sort referred to above.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, con sists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the have contemplated 10 so as to distinguish lowing description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in claims, the annexed drawing and the fol which the principle of the invention may be used. j In said annexed drawing Fig. l is a bottom plan View of a denture of lower teeth, such denture incorporating my present improved construction; Fig. 2 is a transverse section of such denture, the

plane of such section being indicated by the line 2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of one side of such denture, the plane of such section being indicated by the line 3-3, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4c is a broken sectional view showing a modification of my invention adapting same for an upper denture.

in its ture, whether it be an upper'or lower one, is the same as any denture currently in use. Thus, the lower denture, shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, comprises a body 1 of arcua'te outline which is fitted to the lower jaw of the wearer, being transversely concave on its under side, as shown in Fig. 2, and having artificial teeth 2 projecting from its opposite convex side. Such b d known, is ordinarily made from rubber: which is vulcanized to the requisite degree of hardness in a suitable'mold whereby permanencyof form is assured. The artificial teeth 2 are embedded in the body of vulmain features myimproved den 0 y 1,-as is well canizable material incidentally to the molding of the latter and so become firmly held in the latter when vulcanization is complete.

Embedded in the concave side of the denture, in much the same fashion as the teeth are thus embedded in the opposite side, is a series of my improved suction members 3. These, as previously indicated, are composed of hard, i. e. rigid material which nevertheless is porous'to a substantial degree. The exposed faces of these bodies or suction members, as I shall term them, conform with the concave side of the denture, both transversely and longitudinally of the latter, and such surfaces should be relatively smooth so that in effect a continuous, smooth surface is Cit As a suitable material for the suction members 3, l employ any fine grade of clay, kaolin or equivalent material, which upon being moistened may be molded into proper shape and then dried and baked. By selecting the proper quality of clay and baking at the temperature usually required in handling a refractory material of this sort, a mass sufiiciently porous for my purpose is produced. lhe members may also be formed from pieces of equivalent refractory material as, for instance, unglazed pottery chards, by properly cutting and trimming such pieces. Various other materials may be employed, although I know of none as satisfactory as the one just described. F or example, the suction members may be formed from plaster Paris, or equivalent cements,

but these Wlll not have the quality of permanence nor in other ways be as satisfactory.

In forming and vulcanizing the denture, the suction members may be initially entirely covered with the rubber and the latter then trimmed away so as to expose the contact surfaces of the members.

In the case of an upper denture or plate 5 (see Fig. 4i), which will not be thick enough to enable a suction member, such as I have described, to be embedded in the body of material, I may form a'cup-shaped receptacle 6 in such plate in which a member '7 is firmly secured. The exposed face of such member, as before,will conform with the adjacent contact surface of the plate, while the slight protuberance on the under side of the plate, occasioned by the projecting cup 5, will not be at all objectionable.

1 Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, prori'ded the means stated by any of the followmg claims or the equivalent'ofsuch stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. A denture formed of substantially hard material and having secured thereto a suction member composed of a hard, relatively porous material, said member having a surface conforming substantially throughout with the contact surface of said denture.

2. A denture formed of substantially hard material and having embedded therein a suction member composed of a hard, relatively porous material, said member having an exposed surface conforming substantially throughout With the contact surface of said denture.

A denture formed of substantially hard material and having embedded therein in spaced relation a plurality of suction members composed of hard, relatively porous material, said members having exposed surfaces conforming substantially throughout with the adjacent portions of the contact surface of said denture.

4. A denture formed of vulcanized rubber and having embedded therein a suction member composed of a relatively porous, refractory material, said member having a surface conforming substantially throughout with the contact surface of said denture.

5. A denture formed of vulcanized rubber and having embedded "therein a suction member composedof clay burned into ahard relatively porous mass, said member having a surface conforming with the contact surface of said denture,

Signed by me this 7th day of March, 1924.

WILLIAM R.- TiVIGGS. 

